Monte Hale Western #30

Monte Hale rolls into Baker City ready to fight corruption, but his real test comes when a crooked political boss named Bill Dooley hires the deadliest gunslinger in the West—the Undertaker—to eliminate him. As this black-clad killer rides into town and orders a coffin bearing Monte's name, the young lawman must face off against an opponent who's never missed a shot and has never been beaten. It's a showdown that will test not just Monte's gun hand, but his wits.

Uncle Charlie's lap seems like the perfect place for little Bronko Betsy to sit when he visits—until she takes one look and realizes there's already someone occupying it. A quick joke about the limits of hospitality from the pages of Monte Hale Western.

When Top Hat Taylor's traveling show rolls into town with a rodeo spectacular, Monte Hale finds himself not just competing—but investigating a suspicious robbery that threatens to shut down the entire operation. As Monte digs deeper into the crime, he uncovers a con far more sinister than a simple theft, leading to a desperate escape and a reckoning on the trail.

When two old prospector pals strike rich gold in the Black Hills, their sudden fortune turns deadly as a gang of claim-jumpers—led by the ruthless Hi-Jack and his henchman Curr—set their sights on stealing the bonanza. Monte Hale must help Chuck and Baldy defend their discovery against overwhelming odds, using his wits and whatever tools he can find to drive the outlaws back. It's a race against greed as Monte discovers that fortune brings as much danger as opportunity.

A young girl tries to talk her way into attending tomorrow's rodeo, but her paw won't budge—until she turns the tables with a clever jab about his selective memory. When a chatty character named Bronko Betsy spots Old Slick fishing, she decides to have some fun by needling him about his cruelty to the fish, only to find he's got a sharp comeback ready.

A cocky schemer named Little Arrow spots Big Bow with cash and tries to turn the tables through a series of increasingly ambitious cons—but each clever deal somehow leaves Big Bow richer than before. After Little Arrow outsmarts himself one too many times, he finally discovers why his friend keeps laughing all the way to the bank.

When Monte Hale stumbles upon a massive stone idol worshipped by the Buffalo tribe, he escapes their wrath—but later discovers the statue's sinister purpose in the hands of a crooked rancher. Jim Kimball, a newcomer to the territory, is swindled out of his ranch by the ruthless Clem Buford, who then hands him over to the tribe as a human sacrifice, knowing Kimball's face eerily mirrors the tribe's fearsome god, Kanitou. Now Sue Kimball must convince Monte to venture back into the Valley of Death itself to uncover what Buford has done and find her missing uncle.